The weekend of October 8-10 the town of Sant Sadurni D'anoia becomes the biggest sparkling wine celebration in Spain with the 2010 CavaTast. The 14th edition of this Fiesta is designed to celebrate Spain's most popular sparkling wine. All weekend the many producers, more than 90% of the Cava produced worldwide is produced in Sant Sadurni, will open stalls on the streets to allow visitors to get to know the intricacies and subtleties of this often underappreciated wine.
And of course, with the wine comes the food! Stands and stalls offering everything from local cheeses to cured hams to Spanish tortillas are set up, and courses for food and Cava pairings are available. Many of the local restaurants are offering a special cava-related menu featuring the best of the local products in some very creative and delicious recipes!
For more information or to include a private guided visit to Cava country on your next trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
For those who won't be making it to Barcelona in the next couple of months, you can take this opportunity to see some of Salvador Dali's best works at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. The exposition, entitled Dali's Late Works runs through January 9, 2011 and features some of the eccentric artist's best works of his last 40 years, including paintings, sculptures and movies on loan from museums around the world, including his theater-museum in Figueres.
To include a private guided tour to the Dali Museum on your next to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
In the province of Leon, in northwestern Spain, is the region of Bierzo. Of late the region has gained international acclaim for its wines, and with good reason. But a closer look reveals much more than just great wines. Start with the capital city of Ponferrada and its magnificent Templar Castle, the Encina Basilica and, for railroad lover, the Museo del Ferrocarril. After visiting the city, take a walk through the rolling landscapes to the Valley of Silence and listen to the hills speak of thousands of years of history and feel the peacefulness of nature. Don't forget to visit the Picos de Europa, with several peaks of more than 2000 meters. And last but certainly not least, a visit to the vineyards to sample some of the region's best and see why their reputation as world-class winemakers is blossoming.
For more information or to arrange a private guided tour on your next trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
For anyone interested in photography, there is currently a fascinating display of Spanish Civil War photographs on display at the International Center of Photography in New york, now through January 9. The photos, taken by Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and David Seymour between 1936-1939 throughout Spain, represent some of the first and best images of the at-that-time New wartime photography. After the war, some 4,500 negatives were supposed to be shipped in boxes to the US, but only made it recently. When the exhibit finishes, the photographs will be sent to a museum in Barcelona.
For all those people who are in Spain today, please do no be alarmed: the General Strike in Spain is a one-day affair, and despite the congestion and store closings as a result of the striking unions protests of the new labor law, there are still plenty of things to do everywhere. However, it is worth noting that you may find getting a restaurant reservation or even a taxi more complicated, and you should plan for extra time. And once again, the strike is only one day, so tomorrow everything should return to normal.
Today the King and Queen of Spain took an important trip to the island town of San Fernando in Cadiz. It's a small town that is often overlooked, but it played one of the most important parts in the history of modern Spain. 200 years ago today the first meeting of the Royal courts, las Cortes, which culminated in the constitution of 1812. The king and Queen participated in a recreation and tribute to the town and the ideas that originated 200 years ago and many of which still effect Spanish society today. The celebration was complete with recreation by theater groups and a parade.
For more information or to include a private guided visit to San Fernando on your next tour of Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
This Friday, September 24 is the festival of the Merce, Barcelona's patron saint. The whole city will be out to celebrate, as only Barcelona can. And this year, since it falls on a Friday, the celebration goes on all weekend long! Along side the traditional festival events like live music, street performances and fireworks, there will also be a number of 100% pure Catalan elements such as the Castellers, Sardanas and Correfocs.
the celebration starts tonight at 7:45 with a parade through to the main square of Sant Jaume and continues until late on Sunday evening. This is truly a unique opportunity to get in touch with the culture and the people, and The Spanish Touch will be glad to help plan and arrange your private guided tour.
As we enter into the fall season, the leaves turn, there's a nip in the air, and the sweater's come out at night. And course, once more we find ourselves in the forest, not looking up at the leaves but looking down, searching for that staple of Fall gastronomy: the mushroom. The weekend's activities for many people in and around Barcelona involves a very early morning trip up to the mountain. It's not uncommon to arrive at 6:30 in the forest of Berga to discover that there are already a collection of these mushroom seekers, called Boletaires. And fear not, among the many varieties there are some poisonous, but you can always take an expert guide, and go to the local restaurant where they will take the mushrooms you spent all morning picking and create a meal for you!
For more information on this or to include a private guided tour during your next trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
The 58th annual San Sebastian Film Festival kicked off last weekend with all the glamor that accompanies one of the most important film festivals in all of Europe. The plethora of festivities and activities keep one of Spain's most beautiful cities moving all week. From now until the 25th of September catch all the flitz and glamor, and take the chance while you're at it to take in one of the truly overlooked gems of the Spanish coast!
I admit that when I woke up this morning and saw the lightning flashes and heard the thunder, I got a bit apprehensive for the upcoming tour. I love Barcelona, and I love showing people the wonders of the Modernista world in Barcelona, but doing it in the rain can make things complicated sometimes. Fortunately the weather held, and even when it rained it waited until we were inside or in the car. As we started the private tour at the Sagrada Familia, the weather cleared enough to really appreciate the facades. This morning the contruction in the church was really in full swing as they prepare for the upcoming visit from the Pope. As we left we shared the observation that for some reason visitors for years overlooked wonders like the Sagrada Familia. It always makes me feel good to be able to share Spain with people. Even Park Guell was nice, they even got the chance to sit on the benches (which weren't wet, surprisingly enough!). Finally we took a walk along the Passeig de Gracia, stopped for a coffee at the Torres Vinoteca and paid a visit to the Palau de la Musica Catalana. All in all a good introduction to the world of Catalan Modernisme. And again, thanks to the Blooms for making my job so much fun.
For more information or to learn more about Modernisme on your next trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
About an hour north of Barcelona is the city of Girona. The city's 2000 year history includes Roman walls and ruins, a spectacular 11th century tower and a bridge built by a French firm named Eiffel. But one of the most intriguing reasons to visit is the old Jewish Quarter, the Call. Located right in the heart of Girona's old medieval city, the Jewish Quarter was once one of the most important in all of Spain, and was home to the Rabbi Moses Ben Nahman (also known as Nahmanides). Many of the most important Kabbalistic works of the middle ages were written in Girona. Nowadays the Centre Bonastruc Ça Porta hosts one of the best Jewish Heritage museums in Spain.
For more information or to include a visit to Girona on your next trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
On Friday I had the pleasure of taking the Bellos's around Barcelona. It was a full-day private guided tour of Barcelona, and we really made the most of the day. Highlights of the day included the Picasso Museum, La Boqueria Market (with accompanying sample of Horchata!) and La Sagrada Familia. It was a treat to be able to work with them, and I want to thank them for making my job so easy! Visit The Spanish Touch soon for more pictures from the day tour.
Located just south of Barcelona, Sitges has long been known as a great vacation town, with wonderful beaches, a lively, festive atmosphere and a great selection of restaurants. And all of this is, of course, true. But for the discerning visitor, Sitges is so much more. Originally a fishing village, the town earned recognition for being the birthplace of Modernisme, home to two of Modernisme's most important figures: Santiago Rusiñol and Ramon Casas. In fact, Rusiñol's house is now a museum, and definitely worth a visit. Also worth a look are the cementery and some of the spectacular Americano houses, built by Catalans who had gone to the new world to make their fortune, and then returned to Sitges to live.
The town's reputation for festivals is well deserved as well: in addition to local festivals, there are international film festivals, concerts, and a plethora of activities for people of all ages.
For more information or to include a private guided tour to Sitges on your next trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch
As I mentioned in yesterday's entry, the harvest season has arrived in Spain. And Barcelona is a great place to be to really get in touch with some of the more than 10 DOs within driving distance of the Catalan capital. For those looking for a unique and personal Spanish tour, this weekend's festivities include a real treat for enophiles and history buffs alike: on September 3-4 in the small town of Poboleda in the Priorat wine region is the 12th annual "Festa del Vi i de la verema l'antiga", or Old-fashioned Wine and Harvest Festival.
The show begins on Friday night with a presentation of the wines and a tasting. But the real fun begins Saturday morning. For those early risers or those looking for a unique opportunity to get their hands dirty and get into the roots of the Spanish wine culture, the party begins at 7:00 with a trip to help hand-pick the grapes! This is followed by an open breakfast for everyone and then the wine fair begins. The wine will flow and the fire dances will run, and most of all, you will get an authentic cultural experience that will last you a lifetime.
For more information on this or on how to plan your private tour of Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
As we exit the heat of August and enter into the late summer, it can mean only one thing for the people in Spain's more than 60 wine-growing regions: harvest time. And the Spanish take their harvest seriously. There is work to be done...and festivals to be held! This weekend in the Barcelona region there great wine experiences in Penedes, Alella and Emporda feature among them:
Today I want to mention the Wine Harvest Festival in Figueres, popularly known as the birthplace of Salvador Dali, and home to his inspirational Theater-Museum. Figueres is also in the heart of the increasingly renowned Emporda region, and the DO is doing a great job at spreading the word. If you get the chance, take a trip up on Sunday to watch the opening in the main square. It promises to be a great festival with wonderful wines!
For more information about the wine festivals or for helping planning your next trip to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
Every year around this time I take a few days of vacation to reflect and plan ahead for the next season, and once again it's shaping up to be a world of fun. With private tours around Spain, wine festival experiences, treks through the pre-Pyrenees and our new cooking course in Barcelona, the upcoming fall season promises to be a great time to be in Spain.
We are opening our doors to a wider range of activities, but that doesn't mean we will be trimming anything from our service. As the world slowly recovers from the crisis, we at the Spanish Touch know how important value is for our clients. That's why we are committed to providing the highest value for your vacation: we know that you have a choice, and we want you to get the most for your money. And as a custom tour operation, we go that extra mile to make sure you get the best experience!
For more information or for help planning your next excursion into the fascinating opportunities that await, contact The Spanish Touch.
More and more people are coming to Spain for the weddings. Not just for honeymoons, but as a place to get married. Recently it has become popular, especially among Asian countries, to share their vows in smaller towns rather than the big cities. In the smaller towns, churches frequently date back to the 17th century and add a touch of authenticity and a classic Spanish feeling that so many come looking for.
For more information or to include a visit to one of the smaller towns contact The Spanish Touch.
Whether your ideal private vacation in Spain involves days spent lounging on a beautiful beach, sipping an ice cold sangria, hiking through the Pyrenees and stopping to visit thousand-year old churches and friendly, small-town inns, or boutique hotels with internationally acclaimed restaurants and spas, The Spanish Touch can help you with every detail. We believe that our job is to help you have the absolute best vacation possible. No two groups are the same, and so no two vacations should be. Our goal is to bring you the best of Spain by tailoring your visit, offering private guided tours and top value for the money, and our greatest reward is a satisfied client.
So for your next vacation, why not treat yourself and let us take care of you with all the best of Spain!
Andalusia is well known for its white villages. Dotting the hillsides and tucked between olive groves, these towns are wonderful to explore and ramble through the streets. And if you're really lucky, you can find one that's having its own fair, and then you can see the Andalusian culture in all its colors. Frigiliana is one of the best known white villages on Malaga's lesser-known East side. Just north of the beach town of Nerja, Frigiliana boasts the only remaining molasses factory in Spain, and a history that is equal to that of some of the best and most famous cities in Spain.
The fact that Frigiliana is known as "the town of 3 cultures" indicates a great deal about its past. In this small town of just a few thousand people, Jews, Christians and Moors all lived in relative harmony. And the Fifth Annual Festival of 3 Cultures is a great way to see first hand how this history played out. From August 26 to the 29, concerts, street performances, gastronomic events, and much more will all make your visit to this classic white village a memorable one.
For more information or to include a visit to Frigiliana on your next visit to Spain, contact The Spanish Touch.
